Customizable serving tray

ABSTRACT

A customizable serving tray formed from a transparent thermoplastic and having a main portion including an upper side and a lower side, and four raised lateral portions. The main portion of the serving tray is formed from two parallel sheets of thermoplastic and an integral slot on the lower side for receiving a decorative insert, which may include a particular customized graphic thereon. Two of the raised lateral portions, on opposite sides of the main portion, may include apertures forming handles for supporting the serving tray. The remaining two raised lateral portions do not include apertures.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/334,772 entitled “Customizable Serving Tray” which was filed May 14,2010 and which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a customizable serving tray.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the prior art, customizable serving trays included decorative insertswhich were placed upon the serving surface. However, the inserts forsuch trays were easily damaged by either catastrophic events such asspills or gradual degradation due to normal use because the surface ofthe insert was directly exposed whatever was placed on the serving tray.An object of the present invention is to provide a customizable servingtray having a decorative insert which is essentially immune to damagefrom both normal use and from catastrophic events. Still further objectsand advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuingdescription and drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purposes ofthe invention as embodied and broadly described herein, the presentinvention provides a serving tray formed from a transparentthermoplastic and having a main portion including an upper side and alower side, and four raised lateral portions. The main portion of theserving tray is formed from two parallel sheets of thermoplastic and anintegral slot on the lower side for receiving a decorative insert, whichmay include a particular customized graphic thereon. Two of the raisedlateral portions, on opposite sides of the main portion, may includeapertures forming handles for supporting the serving tray. The remainingtwo raised lateral portions do not include apertures, in the preferredembodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description, given by way of example and notintended to limit the present invention solely thereto, will best beunderstood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a right elevated perspective view of a customizable servingtray of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a rear view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a right side view thereof; and

FIG. 7 is right elevated perspective view of the customizable servingtray showing the insert removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1 and 2 show acustomizable serving tray 10 formed from a transparent (orsemitransparent) thermoplastic, e.g., the thermoplastic polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA, which is sold under many brand names includingLucite®. Tray 10 includes a central flat portion 60 and four raisedlateral portions 20, 30, 40, 50. Two opposing lateral portions 20, 30may include corresponding apertures 25, 35 forming handles for the tray10. The shape of apertures 25, 35 should allow a user to adequately griptray 10, but any shape may be chosen which meets this requirement. Aninsert 75 having a customized graphic 70 may be inserted underneath thecentral flat portion 60, as discussed in greater detail below. In thismanner, a wide variety of different graphics may be provided by simplyproviding different inserts 75 with different graphics 70. In addition,since the insert 75 is provided underneath the central flat portion 60and not on top thereof, insert 75 is effectively insulated from exposureto any spilled food or drink which is on the serving tray 10. Likereference numerals in the various drawings refer to the samecorresponding structure and a description thereof is not provided insubsequent drawings.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of tray 10, with the bottom of lateral portions20, 30, 40 and 50 demonstrating the orientation of tray 10 in contrastwith FIGS. 1 and 2. Tray 10 is actually formed from two parallel sheetsof thermoplastic, a first sheet 100 which forms the central flat portion60 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and a second sheet 90 which forms the exposed bottomsurface. Sheets 100 and 90 are separated by a spacing and connected onthree sides, the sides corresponding to lateral portions 20, 30 and 50,but are not connected at the side corresponding to lateral portion 40 soas to form a slot (not shown) for insertion of the insert 75 (not shown)into this spacing, which, as one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily understand, allows insert 75 to fit snugly therein. A cutout110, preferably formed as a semicircle, is provided in sheet 90 at acentral point along the edge corresponding to lateral portion 40 toassist in the removal/insertion of insert 75.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are front, rear and side views, respectively, of tray10 which show the two sheets 90, 100 of thermoplastic and the slot 120(FIGS. 5 and 6 only) formed for insertion of insert 75 (not shown) intothe spacing therebetween. FIG. 5 also shows the cutout 110.

FIG. 7 is a right elevated perspective view which shows tray 10 with theinsert 75 removed, and which demonstrates by way of the arrow 140 howinsert 75 is inserted into the spacing between sheets 90 and 100 viaslot 120 to provide a customized serving tray 10.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to the preferred embodiments and various aspects thereof,it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art thatvarious changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that the appendedclaims be interpreted as including the embodiments described herein, thealternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.

1. A serving tray formed from a thermoplastic and comprising: a mainportion including an upper side and a lower side, wherein the mainportion of the serving tray is formed from two parallel sheets oftransparent thermoplastic separated to form an integral slot having anopening on the lower side for receiving a decorative insert; and fourraised lateral portions.
 2. The serving tray of claim 1, furthercomprising a decorative insert inserted into the integral slot andhaving a customized graphic thereon.
 3. The serving tray of claim 1,wherein two of the raised lateral portions, on opposite sides of themain portion, include apertures forming handles for supporting theserving tray.
 4. The serving tray of claim 1, further comprising acutout formed in the lower parallel sheet of the main portion adjacentto the slot opening for assisting in the insertion and/or removal of thedecorative insert.
 5. The serving tray of claim 4, wherein the cutout isformed as a semicircle in the lower parallel sheet of the main portion.6. The serving tray of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic istransparent.
 7. The serving tray of claim 1, wherein the thermoplasticis semitransparent.